


Starks Don't Cry

by TheArcReactor (LazarusII)



Series: Marvel One-Shots [10]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Anger, Blood and Injury, Deathfic, Hurt Tony Stark, Insanity, M/M, Tony Stark Angst, Tony Stark Has Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-24
Updated: 2019-08-24
Packaged: 2020-09-25 23:30:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20379934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LazarusII/pseuds/TheArcReactor
Summary: Steve abandons Tony after returning from the army without saying a word, marrying Peggy Carter instead. Hiding his madness for decades, Tony joins SHIELD as a technician and bides his time to have his revenge.Unfortunately, the now-retired Steve will not be the one to face the wrath of Iron Man. Tony has his eyes set on another target: Sharon Rogers.Feat. the new Captain America and an insane Tony Stark.





	Starks Don't Cry

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Le Star-Lord](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Le+Star-Lord).

> First, and foremost, this fic has been _long_ overdue. 
> 
> Le Star-Lord asked me to write this a VERY long time ago and, to be completely honest, it was a scary request. In my first draft of the work, the blood and gore was so bad that I was left staring at the screen in shock wondering where the [insert colorful word of choice] that had come from. 
> 
> So, what did I do? I wrote another version. The problem: I was an idiot and wrote it in Ao3, only to stall out and lose it after the one-month draft timespan (I was over 2k words in and didn't even save a backup??!! -what was I thinking).  
What you will read is the _original version_, edited down to a level which I feel comfortable posting. Please take note that this was written over three distinct sessions which I had to blend together in the massive editing session I had earlier today. 
> 
> ||
> 
> [Be aware of triggers!!!] Just a general warning that the POV is not of someone thinking in their right mind. This is a man who has been broken and devastated, letting his own mental state fall into rage, hatred, and insanity. 
> 
> ||
> 
> This fic has not been beta-read, so there will be errors -I apologize in advance.

The white suit glittered in the twilight sun like an armored specter raised from the depths of hell. Blood red lines traced small separations in the armor’s plates with gold hinted every-so-often throughout the beastly machine’s exterior. Trapezoidal eye-sockets seemed to fill with a terrible darkness, darkened just enough to prevent anyone from seeing the terrible madness behind the suit’s owner. 

It was dark and terrifying. 

And just how Tony liked it. 

The monstrosity was something of a lovechild of his, born through the pain which had begun to eat him alive as soon as he laid eyes on a man named Steve Rogers. 

But, of course, first contact had been nearly two decades ago and it had been a long road since. 

The days had been long and cold, downright frigid, one could say. Once, he would’ve been able to crack a joke or even lift a delicate mask over his expressions, planting the façade of the ‘billionaire playboy’ casually over his battle-scarred face, but those days were over. They had gone along with his heart and soul, stolen by something much darker and far more dangerous. 

The girl was here somewhere, hiding most likely. She should be proud to have her father’s blood -the blood of Captain America. Tony supposed that he should feel sympathetic for her. She was weak, after all, and the suit could track her like a bloodhound -there was no escape. Somehow, he just wasn’t in the right mood for it. Had he ever been? Probably not. He just didn’t care anymore. 

It was an old lumberyard, vast in size and yet tiny on the small tracking screen. Great stacks of various pressure-treated and freshly cut wood lay everywhere, forming isles and turning the large lot into a gridwork. It looked oddly satisfying on the screen, he decided, but it wasn’t like he exactly had time to play around. 

One bright red dot blipped on the screen, making him squint. The damned girl was hiding three stacks away, crouched behind a rather large assortment of oak and other mis-matched boards. JARVIS ran his mouth about picking up a Vibranium signature and he sighed. 

_ Kids these days… _

Boots thudding against the cement flooring of the depot, Tony approached the indicated life form, keenly aware that it did not move an inch even as he did so. A smirk slowly spread across his face. Foolish parents make a foolish daughter. They must have told her that Iron Man was safe, that he was a ‘hero’, that SHIELD tech advisor, Tony Stark, was to be trusted. 

As if he would ever let a “Captain America” forget what betrayal does to a man. Iron Man, the armored avengers, safe? Like hell. He’d been doing this for years, building up a reputation. Safe? He could laugh out loud for days. 

He didn’t even know if he was sane anymore these days; he didn’t care. 

The girl looked up as he rounded the corner. She was confused, clearly, her large blue eyes widening as they took in the suit facing her. The new cowl and suit of ‘Captain America’ hug her sides snugly, emphasizing the strength in the muscles which gripped the Vibranium shield in front of her body. Tony’s lip curled, Fury had personally commissioned for him to re-outfit the shield into something newer. The man had acted like he was obligated to fulfill his wish, but somehow that didn’t line up too well. Sharon was a Rogers. There was no way he was making her anything. 

“Iron Man,” she said calmly, “I was not expecting you here.”

_ Ah, my fabled alias. Sorry, Captain, but there will be no saving lives this time. _

_ My time as a hero has ended. _

Blond hair tumbled across her shoulders as she stood, her shoulderless, patriotic uniform conforming to her movements despite the thick layers of protective armor. A hand rose to her earpiece as she took a step back. 

In a smooth arc, Tony batted her hand away and yanked the device from her temple, crushing it to dust in his gloved hand. Her blue eyes narrowed and her face contorted into a frown. 

“Iron man” She repeated; this time, it was a question. Despite both working for SHIELD, neither of them had ever worked together -and for good reason. 

Courtesy of JARVIS, a profile of Sharon hovered off to the side of Tony’s viewscreen and he briefly looked it over as he watched the confused blond out of the corner of his eye. 

_ [Sharon Rogers, age 22- _

_ Daughter of Ex-agent Peggy Carter and Steve Rogers, formerly known as Captain America]. _

…

The list of titles and accomplishments continued but Tony could care less. He had only one thing on his mind and it went against everything he had put into his career for the last decade. 

In a flash, his arm shot forwards and caught the girl in the left shoulder, sending her back into the nearest stack of wood. Boards flew everywhere and her cry of pain filled the internal speaker of the suit. As he listened, Tony’s lips curled upwards in a smile. 

He had waited so long for this. 

Unfortunately, the shield had managed to stay strapped to her arm and he quickly dodged to the side as the metal disc whipped past his face and embedded itself in the stack of pine behind him, curls of splintered wood showering to the ground from the point of impact. It was a pity that she didn’t quite have the hang of being ‘Captain America’ down quite yet. Keeping the shield on her would have been a much better move, logically speaking. 

Repulsor charging with a high-pitched whine, Tony shot a series of blasts into the area right where Sharon had been lying only milliseconds before. He growled in displeasure as he watched her cartwheel away; she landed on her feet, arms up in a classic defensive stance. A woodchip had embedded itself in her arm, right above where her long gloves ended. 

“Stark.” She spat out a mouthful of blood, “why are you doing this?” 

_ Hmph _, so she did know who he was, how convenient. Maybe even a Rogers could do their research now and then. 

“Take an educated guess,” he responded, sounding downright cheerful. 

_ Am I enjoying this? I guess I am. _

But why? Well, that was relatively simple. It was because of a man named Steve Rogers. The _ real _Captain America. 

Sharon’s blue eyes revealed her ignorance, causing him to laugh hysterically inside the suit. The daughter of the superhero which _ supposedly _didn’t have any flaws, didn’t know the crimes of her own father? Unbelievable. Disgusting. She had every right to know what her father had done to him, Tony Stark, as well as the terrible price for being the daughter of Captain America. 

_ Oh, yes, she would know. _

“Tony Stark, what happened to you? You work in… tech? Are those nanites?” She was beginning to look worried. 

_ As she should be. _

A feral sneer took over Tony’s face, hidden to Sharon by the mask. This was his revenge, his decades of pain and sorrow finally taking a stand. 

Two more blasts by his repulsors had her scrambling and he aimed another blow to her midsection, staggering as the girl caught his arm mid-strike. Pearly-white armor seemed to swim and she cried out, blood seeping from a newly-formed gash in her hand, inflicted by a spike which had materialized from the midpoint of Tony’s shoulder. Sharon did not back down, but rather vaulted over him and dove for the shield. 

Tony let out a frustrated hiss from between his teeth. He’d honestly been expecting better. This was Captain America, for god’s sake. Had this been Steve, he’d already been on the ground. 

_ Pathetic _. 

_ Or I’m just old. _

_ … those last few drinks haven’t helped, have they? _

He turned only to receive the flat side of the shield to the face, sending him staggering back. Sharon’s face turned to concern as she watched him struggle to recover. Despite all the armor’s protective layers, her punches hurt terribly, jarring his bones and sending his heart beating irregularly -if that was even possible. 

_ Could be those drinks, _he thought. 

_ Damn _. 

“Stark, please listen to me, you’re under come kind of influence. I can help you, just please-”

A burst of laughter bubbled up from inside him, cutting her short.

“Oh please, _ ‘influence’ _?” He scoffed.

Sharon’s expression shifted. 

_ How quaint, she’s finally catching on. _

The song, the awful song seemed to fill his ears, bubbling up from some accursed memory from the long past. 

_ ‘The Star-Spangled Man…’ _

_ ‘The Star-Spangled Man...’ _

_ ‘The Star-Spangled-’ _

Tony shook his head, cursing. He smashed armored fist into his chest, the echo of metal-on-metal loud even through his helmet. 

_ Damn, not now -not now. _

_ ‘The Star-Spangled Man…’ _

_ That stupid song. No- _

A scene flashed in his head. He was sitting on the sofa, a brown-tinted bottle pinned between his thighs, head leaned down into knees as he pulled at his hair in earnest. Sweat pouring off of him, he rocked slowly, his shoulders shaking from tremors which resonated throughout his body. He sobbed quietly, but no tears fell from his swollen eyes.

His eyes could only have taken so much; he had already pushed his tear ducts past their breaking point for Steve Rogers. 

_ Steve Rogers. _

The TV was static-ridden, courtesy of the looped, low-quality recording on the VHS. A small robot, practically nothing more than chassis with arms, poked at the controls every few minutes, restarting the same recording over-and-over…

_ ‘The Star-Spangled Man...’ _

_ ‘The Star-Spangled Man...’ _

The girls on stage danced, waving their hats in the air as the super soldier raised a motorbike over his head, the women riding on its leather seat blowing kisses to the cheering crowd… 

_ ‘The Star-Spangled Man…’ _

Tony roared and threw a wild punch, his entire upper body carrying him forwards toward the new ‘Captain America’. 

Sharon caught his metallic fist, twisting sideways as the power of the blow knocked her off balance. Spikes elongated from the sides of the fluid, nano-powered metal, ripping the top layer of armor just above her collarbone. Two inches higher and the pearly razors would’ve cut deep into her neck. 

Eyes flashing dangerously, Sharon heaved upwards and Tony felt his feet leave the ground as he was flung headfirst into a woodpile. The screen of his suit went momentarily black, electronics humming before it flickered back to life. 

Tony smirked, amusement pulling at his lip. This was good _ -no- _this was perfect. She was fighting back, how cute. The more of a challenge, the sweeter the revenge. 

A chunk of wood slammed him in the side of the face, snapping his head to the side. Tasting blood, Tony watched stars dance through his vision as his head collided with the inside of the suit. 

Igniting the suit’s repulsors, he plowed backwards through the stacks of wood, catching the woman in the arm with a well-aimed kick on his way out. He watched her fall to the ground, rolling on impact. 

It was a glancing blow. 

_ “I’d never lie to you Tony, you know that…” _

Tony swore aloud.. 

The ‘super-soldier’, the man that fought for the good of the people was nothing more than a liar and coward. 

_ Captain America _wasn’t supposed to lie. 

And yet Sharon was right there, standing below Tony’s hovering form, her blond hair windblown and falling about her face as she snarled up at him.

Her shield sliced through the air as it flew upwards with deadly aim. 

Sharon: the child of Carter and Steve Rogers _ -his _Steve Rogers. 

The shield took him in the chest, raking though a few layers of nanites, making him stagger mid-flight. 

_ Time to end this. _

Tony rotated in the air, looping briefly before hurtling downwards. With a loud _ clang _, he tackled Sharon to the ground, straddling her. His fists connected with her jaw -her face. As his armored knuckles connected with her face, she frantically tried to free herself. 

Blood spurted from her nose, and she spat in his face, hands coming up to grip his forearms. Beneath him, her knee came up, clanging against metal in a place which ordinarily would’ve been crippling. Tony shifted, bringing a knee down on her upper thigh. 

_ Not today, Rogers. _

_ Time to end this. _

A blade materialized on his right hand, pulling nanites from the armor in his upper back. Tony smirked as he drove his fist downwards, aiming for the skin right beneath her jawline. 

Faster than he could see, Sharon dodged to the side, yelling with effort as she managed to throw him with her hips. 

The HUD went black once more on his suit, a side-effect of the low-quality materials which he’d been forced to use. He pushed himself into a kneeling position, feeling his right shoulder pop. Pain radiated from all over his weak body. 

A heavy blow sent him back to the ground, the speakers on his suit crackling. A laugh escaped his lips as he felt warm blood trickling down his face. 

Another heavy strike hit took Tony in the side of the head. The armor shattered, sending shrapnel deep into his skin.

He laughed at the pain, at the blood which ran between his teeth, saturating his mouth and blinding his eyes. This? This was nothing compared to the decades spent in constant agony, where the only comfort was the small cleaning robots. 

The Vibranium shield crashed into his ribs, bones breaking beneath its unrelenting surface. Tony’s breath gurgled in his throat as his body went into auto-pilot, curling into the fetal position. 

A new voice was speaking close by -he guessed SHIELD. 

Cracking open his left eye, he saw an armored, blue shoe approaching. 

_ Rogers. _

“You’re coming with us, Stark,” came the girl’s voice, “do not resist.” 

“You-” Tony’s voice was raw, his breath shallow, “should know me -better than that.”

With a final burst of energy, Tony swung his arms upwards, ignoring the shouts of shock and horror. Rogers was tired, her blood staining the armor on his hands. Her reaction would be slowed -just enough. 

The pearly-white, nanite blade sliced through her right ankle, severing it at the joint. 

A shriek filled the air, long and drawn out; blood spattered across the ground, covering his hands. 

Exhausted, he rolled over onto his front gasping. His body was shutting down, the pain overwhelming his senses... 

Something hit Tony from behind and the next thing he knew, electricity was lacing all across his vision, bright blue ribbons of energy blazing into his eye sockets. 

All the pain in the world for what? A severed foot from the daughter of his old love?

But it was enough. 

Steve Rogers would hear of this and he’d remember it -a penance for his sins. 

A last laugh escaped Tony’s lips. 

_ From me to you, Captain America. _

The welcome darkness came to Tony and swallowed him whole. He drew in a last shuddering breath-

And he knew no more. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> For Le Star-Lord: I sincerely apologize for the long wait and I hope that you liked this work!  
~TheArcReactor


End file.
